


The Pharoah's Daughter

by YomiDracula



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga), Yugioh
Genre: Ancient Egypt, Atem's a dad but he's dead, Family, Love Triangle, M/M, Multi, Questionable Paternity, Romance, Teen Pregnancy, Teenage Parents, single parent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-14 19:52:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17514935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YomiDracula/pseuds/YomiDracula
Summary: She is all they have left of him. All Yugi has left of his Yami. Two years have passed since Atem passed on, but not forgotten. Anzu is raising their daughter alone, with help from Yugi who is mistaken for the father. When the exhibition of Atem's tomb is opened and an old enemy returns, Yugi needs his Yami more than ever.





	1. Chapter 1

The door to Kame Game was blown open as a young man dashed out.

“Yugi! I wasn't finished talking to you!” shouted a flustered old man.

“Late for school! Talk when I'm home, grampa!”

As he ran, a reoccurring but reassuring thought entered his mind.  
'One month and it's all over. No more exams, no more school.'

Not so far away, a girl stood outside her house impatiently. She sucked her tongue as she heaved a sigh. She was stressed, it was clear to anyone who saw her, but she relaxed as she saw a familiar face appear round the corner, racing towards her, beaming.

“Thanks for waiting, Anzu, I'm sorry, I-”

“I can't remember if I fed Akemi” Wide eyed, Anzu raced back inside, Yugi following behind her at the same pace.

“Mum, has Akemi had breakfast?” Anzu shouted into the house, heading straight to her living room.

Anzu's mum was standing by the coffee table, a disgruntled little girl in her arms, one hand holding a bottle. She scowled at her daughter.

“Who knows, but she's starving at this currently moment” she peered round Anzu to see the boy standing in the door way. She smirked, her head raised high as she said “Don't see enough of you”

She didn't give Yugi a chance to reply. As soon as she saw his lips part, ready for speech, she spoke again.

“A bit useless, aren't you? You can make it up to Akemi tonight”

“Tonight?”

“Anzu has dance rehearsal and I want one Friday night out. You can play dad for once”

Yugi nodded vigorously “Yes of course, I'd love to”

“You'd be around more often, if you'd 'love to', Yugi”

“Mum, he does what he can, he-”

“It's not enough.” the mother spat “Go to school. You're late” she turned her back on the two, lightly jiggling the small girl in a calming manner.

The two left with the urge to get away from Anzu's mother. As soon as they were outside, the door gently closed behind them, Anzu groaned.

“I'm too tired for this...” She whined, heading into a quick pace “You really should just stay away”

“I'm just making up for Atem” standing behind her, Yugi didn’t see his friend wince at the mention of their former friend “She needs someone and your mum has already decided I'm 'the one who ruined Anzu's future'” he rolled his eyes “I want to be involved, Anzu”

“But you shouldn't be forced!” Anzu stopped, running her fingers through her hair “It isn't your problem”

“Anzu...” Yugi struggled to keep up, jogging next to her at this point “Akemi is all I, we, have left of the Pharaoh. I want to around her”

“But she isn't him, Yugi. She isn’t Atem”

The conversation died at those words. There was no replacing Atem. He was dearly missed. His leaving had scarred Yugi. While he was happy that the spirit was finally laid to rest, the ordeal had left a hole in his heart. More than two years had passed, but Yugi still suffered nightmares.  
Atem's leaving had been beautiful. He handed the title of The King of Games to Yugi, said his farewells, before walking in to the white light of the afterlife, leaving his second life behind, his goal complete. It hurt Yugi to know he'd never return. Yugi still felt like part of him was missing. He had become to accustom to always having the company of someone in his own mind, that a body to himself and the ability to experience solitary moments was foreign to him, even after so much time.

But there was nothing that could be done. All that was left of Atem was sweet memories, world game records, and a daughter he never knew he had.

Yugi got everything. The memories were his, he was credited for the records, and he was credited for Akemi as well.  
He didn't mind this really. As long as his Grampa didn't know Akemi was, apparently his granddaughter. Yugi feared his Grampa's reaction if he were to find out. If he did and Yugi tried to explain the situation, he knew his grandfather would make things a little harder.

The two continued to the bus station in silence.


	2. Chapter 2

School dragged.  
Seconds felt like minutes to Yugi as he did his best to concentrate. With just two months left until school finished permanently, his focus was needed. But it wasn't there. Yugi's mind wondered to other things. He still pondered over how much things had changed and how clear it was that things would continue to do so. His yami's face still popped into his mind this day. Even remembering Atem at his worst still made him long for the return of his best friend. 

Mathematics finished with the tutor reminding the students once again about their final test. Yugi didn't listen, quickly packing up his things. He had a 15 minute break before his next and final class. Unfortunately, his friend's did not have the same break in class. Even after nearly a year with this schedule, Yugi never knew what to do on his solo breaks. Sometimes he headed to the library. Sometimes he grabbed a late lunch. Other times, like today, he headed to his next class early, waiting outside scrolling through his phone.  
He tapped on to the photo app and into favourites. Yugi smiled at the first photo in the folder. These photos were why he refused to purchase a new phone. He feared loosing photos like this.   
The photo showed him hosting Atem. The spirit's red eyes glowed his own. Yami Yugi stared awkwardly into the camera, looking bewildered, his mouth crooked. Yugi could remember himself invisibly sat behind his own body, attempting to explain to the spirit how the phone worked.   
There was a lot of photos like this. Yugi was amused as he scrolled through. It was noticeable how Yami improved with technology. The photos of Yami Yugi slowly became more flattering. It was strange how handsome Yugi saw Yami to be. Surely, if Yami had been attractive, wasn't Yugi attractive too? They were the same body. Yugi couldn't see this and he understood how confusing it was if he explained this to anyone.  
Yugi felt his heart sink as the photos of spirit Atem came to end. He should have encouraged Atem to take more.  
His smile returned as he carried on swiping through his favourite pictures. He paused on a certain photo, feeling a cool mix of pride and peace as he stared at the screen. He took it when Anzu was in hospital, just hours after Akemi was brought into the world. The baby was asleep in her mother's arms. He felt like crying when he held her. He couldn't believe she was all that was left of Atem.

Or even a piece of him.

Yugi slouched against the wall, looking away from his phone.  
But, the thought was true. When she was conceived, Atem didn't have his own body. He rested in Yugi's. The only thing she had of Atem's was his eyes. The rest of her face and her mannerisms seemed more like his than the Pharoah's. So whose was she?  
Even after his time with Atem, Yugi was still unsure about how spirit world worked.

The thought scared him. It goes without saying why he was afraid when she was first born, but why now? Surely he had little fear by this point. Anzu's mother had decided he was the father.  
Yes, decided.  
She deduced that as he was the only boy she saw her daughter with, who visited often and always walked to school with Anzu, he had to be the 'culprit'. Yugi and Anzu had given up by this point trying to argue. Neither had actually agreed to Anzu's mother's claims. They simply stopped trying to convince of her otherwise and nodded their heads.

Other students were beginning to wait with Yugi now. The start of the lesson was near. One more lesson, and he could leave.

He wasn't against spending time with his 'daughter'. Better to say he was nervous. Yugi didn't believe himself to be natural with children. It was a relief to him that Akemi did seem to like him. She seemed more than comfortable in his arms. This isn't to say he was dreading it. Again, better to say he was nervous.

His feelings hadn't changed by the end of school. As usual, he waited for Anzu at the school gates. His heart skipped a beat as she saw him, gleefully strolling towards with a sweet smile. As they headed to Anzu's house, their conversation was typical. They compared their days and expressed the relief of school end.

“Couple more months and we won't have to worry about that” Anzu mused.

“I'll miss it... Maybe not the lessons, but I'll miss everyone. What if we all loose touch?”

“I doubt we'll loose contact with Jou and Honda. They have about as many friends as us”

“So, not many? Just a small group” Yugi mused.

“Yep! We're stuck together!” Anzu laughed.

As soon as they had reached Anzu's house, the door swung open.

“Perfect timing, my cab's about to arrive” Anzu's mother trusted Akemi into the girl's arms. 

“Mum, it isn't even four!”

“The earliest I go, the more time I'll have to enjoy” muttered Anzu's mother, rummaging through her bag before pulling out her wallet “Be good, please, I'll see you both tonight”

And she was gone, not even waiting to hear their goodbyes in return.  
The pair headed into the house. Anzu sighed.

“You will be okay looking after her, right?”

“Of course! She's my 'daughter', remember?” 

Anzu nodded at her friend, placing the baby into the high chair.

“Grab a drink, or whatever you fancy. I need to get changed”

Like her mother, Anzu raced away without waiting for Yugi's reply. The boy's purple eyes rested upon the small girl who was currently fascinated by the buttons of her dress.

“This will be fun, ay?” Yugi smiled at her, placing his hands under her arms to lift her out her chair “It won't be hard. We should have done this sooner”

The child was silent, now fiddling with Yugi's collar. Yugi held the child close to him. She didn't feel that hard to hold. She was so calm. Anzu always complained about how she wriggled, nearly out of her motherly grasp.

With the baby in his arms, Yugi felt more confident. Yes, he could do this. But, there was one more thing. What on earth was a baby and himself going to do together for 4 hours?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading chapter.  
> I'm sorry these first few chapters are short. Chapters will become a better length as the story goes along.
> 
> Please leave comment whether you'd like to be a critic or a cheerleader to encourage me to continue. All is welcome.
> 
> If you're enjoying this story and there is something you'd like to see happen later on, feel free to comment your idea. Maybe I'll add it in!
> 
> Next chapter will be upload soon. Otherwise, you can cheat and read up to chapter 4 on Fanfiction.net.


	3. Chapter 3

Anzu left half an hour later than planned. While she had been ready on time, going through the checklist of how to care for a 18 month old with Yugi delayed her. 

“Do you remember how to feed her?”  
“Do you remember how to change her?”  
“Remember to not take your eyes of her, not for even a second”

Constantly replying 'yes', Yugi's confidence in babysitting his supposed daughter increased. He knew, he remembered, he could do it all and he promised he would. He was still clueless what to do with their time together.

“There's milk in the fridge for her and you know where her solid food is, right?”

“Yes, top shelf of that cupboard” Yugi said proudly, pointing across the kitchen, his other hand holding baby Akemi to his hip. “I have one question though”

“What's that?” Anzu muttered absently mindedly, finally collection her bags ready to leave.

“What will we do to pass time? When I'm not feeding, changing and staring at her?”

“Toys of course. You can always put her in the playpen so you can watch tele. Just please keep one eye on her, don't forget she's there”

“I won't. I swear! We'll be fine”

Anzu smiled at her friend, admiring the sight of Yugi and her daughter together. Her heart felt warm in her chest. Glancing, at the clock, Anzu made a dash to leave, kissing Akemi on the head and giving Yugi a grateful hug before she bolted out the door.

The house became silent.

Yugi swallowed, looking up at the kitchen clock. Only 3 and half hours and he wouldn't have to worry about being a solo carer for a small child.  
Akemi was calm in his arms, her eyes looking around the room as if it was the first time she had seen it. Yugi watched the baby scan her surroundings. She was so unaware of the world. How lovely it must be to be ignorant and innocent.   
With the child calm, Yugi headed to the living room, taking Anzu's suggestion to put the baby in her playpen. It looked like a child's heaven. Its base was cushioned like a pillow and covered in toys of every kind from educational to the simple stuffed bear. She was spoilt. A proper princess. A true daughter of a pharaoh. He continued to stare at her for a moment, watching Akemi immediately grab a cube shaped toy. Each side had a shaped button. Akemi slapped her palm on to the star.

“I'm a star! Just like you. Star!” sang the cheery voice from the toy.

Yugi slowly backed away to fall on to the sofa, sitting straight so he could keep one eye on the child, as ordered. The other would be on the television. He mindless flicked through the channels, lacking interested, slouching into the sofa, relaxed at last. Every comedy he had seen, he wasn't keen on drama, and he wasn't in the mood for cartoons. As he flicked through, a news channel caught his eye as he passed it. He quickly pressed back.

“-the new exhibition has been long awaited. It took nearly 50 years for archaeologists to find the hidden chamber in The Nameless Pharaoh's pyramid” explained the news presenter, standing outside Domino Museum “and at long last the world will learn about the forgotten boy king”

Yugi's breathe caught in his throat. How had he not known about this?

“I'm here with archaeologist Hazuki Hatashi. Hatashi, what can you tell us about the exciting exhibition?”

“Exciting doesn't cover it. This tomb rivals that of Tutankhamen. In fact, there are many similarities, such as their young age. I would say, as exhibitions go, Tutankhamen has rival. That is why people need to this”

“Will the Pharaoh be attending himself?”

Yugi was tense as he listened. What did the question mean?

“Yes” Hatashi nodded, smiling proudly.

Yugi choked. The Pharaoh would be attending?

“The hidden chamber did indeed keep his mummy as we had all hoped. This mummy truly does tell a story all its own”

“What do you mean when you say 'a story all its own'?”

“Without revealing too much, I will tell you that, going by the wrappings and the time period, our Nameless Pharaoh was buried in haste. His pyramid was probably unfinished when he was sealed into his chamber. Quite strangely, like most Pharaoh's, he was of course buried with his servants etcetera, but there is much to suggest that they were buried with him years, maybe decades after his passing. But why would they do this? It goes against all that they believed about afterlife”

Yugi swallowed, doing his best to concentrate. He couldn't believe it. He could see Atem again. But, it would mean seeing him dead. Mummified and slowly rotting. His organs in jars.   
He couldn't fight of the urge. This was the only chance he had.

“What does all that mean exactly?”

“Yeah...” Yugi pondered to himself, listening to the excitable archaeologist stutter into an explanation.

“It means... The... Th-the Egyptians buried their Kings with all their belongings and needs to pass on into to the next life. This included those who served them. The Egyptians believed their kings to be Gods, and when a Pharaoh passed away, he could go on to continue to rule in the afterlife. As he wasn't buried with those he needed until years later, we may have more of an interesting story on our hands-”

Yugi stopped listening, hunting for his phone in his pocket. He needed to call Ishizu now. He needed to find out how soon he could see Atem.  
Ishizu wasn't a friend, but she had appeared in the years with Atem. Working at the museum that was linked to research of Atem's tomb, Ishizu had insisted they exchange details for an exact moment like this. She was loyal to the Pharaoh. As he had cared so much for Yugi, she showed him respect. 

Akemi.  
His eyes shot over. The little girl was fine, staring up at him with large reddish eyes.  
Each ring seemed to last an eternity. Yugi found himself jiggling a leg impatiently. After four rings, Ishizu finally answered

“Afternoon-”

“Isis, I heard about the exhibition!” blurted out the teenager

“Did you receive my emails?”

“Emails?” Yugi frowned

“I have sent you multiple emails over the last month concerning the exhibit for Atem. Did you not receive them?”

“I haven't been checking...” He felt a bit ridiculous now “I never received anything but junk, so I-”

“How did you find out?”

“It was on the news! Not to be rude, Ishizu, but next time could you text me instead?”

“My emails were formal. I do not text formal messages”

“It doesn't matter with me, I won't mi-”

“I do not text formal messages.”

“Okay, never mind, but, I just want to know about the exhibition, please”

“It'll begin Saturday. We have found much unexpected details about the Pharaoh's the life”

“How much is entry?”

Ishizu paused.

“If you had read my emails, you would have seen me offering for you to visit today or tomorrow, my guests. Have some privacy”

Yugi swallowed “That was very kind of you, Ishizu”

“The offer is still there.”

Yugi looked over at Akemi. What a chance this was for her, too. Though he knew she wouldn't remember in years to come, Yugi felt this was the right thing to do.

“Would you mind if I brought a friend? They're only small”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Would love it if you took the time to leave a review. 
> 
> What would you like to see happen?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi and Akemi's museum visit turns out to be unsettling.

After many failed attempts to work out how to unpack the pack-away pushchair, Yugi settled with the tiring option of carrying Akemi for their visit to the museum. His heart skipped a beat when he found the child reins.  
As he locked the front door with the spare key, Akemi standing at his feet obediently, he pondered on whether mentioning their outing to Anzu was a good idea. He was sure this was something she'd want to introduce to her daughter herself. But surely she'd understand his need to go immediately. This was Atem. His best friend, his tutor, his brother, his father figure while his real dad father was away on business. All this didn't cover it. There had been so much more to their relationship, all still growing at the time of Atem's leave. So many unexplored feelings, so many conversations that should have happened but never did. Anzu knew this, didn't she? She'd understand... He should tell her. She should know her daughter is out the house.

Yugi and Akemi wondered over to the bus stop. Yugi was eager to move quickly, but kept his patience for the little legs that toddled about beside him.  
Akemi seemed so happy to be out. She was gleeful, grinning away, watching her own feet as she stumbled without falling.  
Other than slowing his journey, caring for Akemi hadn't been too hard so far. She was an amusing child. She walked closely by him, determined to meet his pace, but was noisy the entire time. Even when the pair were on the bus, Akemi continued to babble, some words, but mostly nonsensical sounds. She was a very curious child, scanning every person in the bus as if she was a computer.  
This was when it occurred to Yugi. Anzu didn't take Akemi outside often. She took her daughter into their garden, but Yugi could not remember a time Anzu had mentioned taking Akemi out for the day. Yugi assumed this was why she seemed to be in awe of her surroundings.

Less people were bothered by the loud child than expected. Two elderly woman watched her fondly, enjoying the sight of the curious toddler. Even so, Yugi's cheek were ruby red by the end of the bus journey. It was a relief to get off.

The bus stopped just one door down from the museum. Perfect! Nearly door to door service.  
The site was clear, not a soul in sight. Yet, Yugi felt watched. Specifically but the large banners. His stomach twisted.  
The banner above the museum entrance was large, proud, and dark.  
A face cut in two. One half looked similar to Atem, how Yugi remembered him. It was a facial reconstruction of the Pharoah. Yugi knew immediately what was wrong with it. His skin was too tanned, his eyes seemed too small, and his chin was too defined. But it was him, recognisable.  
The other half wasn't as pleasant. It was no prediction, not a edited or a computer created image. No. This was the Pharoah's mummy. Slack jawed, eyeless, and gaunt.  
Yugi felt cold as he looked. He had never thought of the Pharaoh's long still body. He swallowed, before picking up Akemi and walking up the steps towards the main entrance.  
Through the glass, he could see Ishizu in conversation with a man in a grey suit. Forcing himself to stand straight, he knocked on the door, catching Ishizu's eye immediately. She smiled, coming over to open the door.

“Right on time, as I thought”

“I had no reason to hang around” Yugi smiled

Ishizu's gaze moved to the young one in Yugi's arms.

“Didn't realise your little friend was a child”

Even so, she produced two name tags, both saying guest, and pinned them to Yugi's shirt and Akemi's dress.

“The exhibition is straight down there and to the left. Call me if you need me. I have many things to attend to, but you won't be a bother”

Yugi thanked her, before eagerly heading up in the direction of the exhibit.  
His body felt heavy as he got closer. He began to wonder if this was the right thing to do. Should he really be looking into Atem's original life? Or should he be trying to leave his past's past and move on? Would this really beneficial?  
He didn't stop walking though. He was here and he needed to know.

The museum's air as strong with the smell of lavender. Yugi, whose eyes were stinging, assumed this to be an attempt to cover the smells of the artefacts. But it was over powering.  
Akemi didn't seemed bothered by the strong fragrance. 

They turned a corner and immediately found themselves staring at cabinet after cabinet, all filled with precious gold. Septas, bowls, vases, and small statues were all perfect placed, each with its own sheet of details. A sign hung from the ceiling proudly reading 'The Tomb of the Lost King'.

Yugi gentled placed Akemi down on the floor, allowing her to move around freely. He kept hold of her harness lead.

Another sign, smaller than the other, caught Yugi's attention. A bright yellow arrow pointing right with 'tomb this with way' written above it in capitals. Yugi followed, nearly dragging Akemi behind him, who quickly matched his pace with a clumsy run. The arrow was pointing to an arch way leading to a new room. Slightly nervous, Yugi stepped inside, followed by Akemi. The room shone with gold. Every little thing was encased in glass for protection.  
A chariot stood proudly against the left wall. Yugi would see Atem riding in that. He remember him having knowledge on horses. A display unit held his canopy jars, all faces damaged with age. Atem's mask was proudly displayed near the rooms opening. Just like the real Atem, the face appeared stern. If a real human face, it would have seemed to be in deep concentration. Other than the expression, it didn't resemble him. Yugi thought it looked quite feminine in appearance. But maybe this was an attempt to show Atem''s youth at his time of passing.  
In the centre of the room lay what unsettled Yugi the most. Resting in a case opposite to Atem's sarcophagus, was Atem himself. Hard, bony, still..

and dead.

While Akemi's ever curious eyes scanned the glittering room, Yugi slowly walked over to the mummy. It's face seemed even more contorted than on the picture. His stomach looked like a piece of sagging leather, caving into his hips as a crater. Yugi could not recognise this as his friend at all. To Yugi, he seemed burnt appearance. Even so, he had the urge to introduce father and daughter, at the risk of a scare for the small girl.

“Akemi” he whispered to the child, motioning her to come over. He scooped her up into his arms, balancing her on his hip as they slightly leaning over the 5,000, year old corpse.

“This is your daddy. Your real daddy” he said softly.

Akemi looked at the body with a deadpan stare, fiddling with the hem of her dress. She was calm, too young to understand the distress some could feel at the sight of a dead body. Of course, she didn't realise it was a corpse at all. She didn't know what death was just yet.  
Her head turned to look at Yugi, beaming.

“Daddy” she sang, her hand lightly patting his shoulder.

Yugi didn't responding, still staring down at the dead pharaoh.  
He felt blessed to have known him, but he couldn't stand the fact that Akemi would never know him herself. While he felt that, even now, he still need him, Akemi needed Atem more. He was her father, after all.


End file.
